Leaning against her kitchen counter, Bonnie took a sip of coffee and grimaced as she tasted bitter coffee grounds.Her coffeemaker was ancient, way overdue to be replaced.One of these days she was actually going to do it.
“Mom.”Noah materialized beside her in his pajamas, a spiral notebook in his hand and a pencil behind his ear.“Can fire burn in space?”
“Good morning, to you, too,” she responded wryly.
He continued, “Can you have fire inside a space station?”
“Brush your teeth.”
“But—”
“Teeth.Then breakfast.Then questions.”
He went, but muttering about how teeth were not as important as science.
Cassidy appeared behind Bonnie, already dressed.She had her own spiral notebook tucked under her arm, and she was uncapping a pen with the brisk air of someone who had a productive morning planned.
“He's making a list,” her daughter reported.“Questions for the fire guy.He's got like ten already.”
Cassidy headed for the refrigerator and pulled out yogurt and a container of blueberries because she didn't wait for others to do anything she could do herself.“He's going to corner that poor man the next time we go to the diner.”
“I'm aware.”
“I'll try to keep him from being too much.”
“I appreciate that, Sweetie.”
“But I make no promises,” Cassidy added direly, pulling granola out of the pantry.
Bonnie hid her smile by turning back to the counter to make sandwiches for the kids’ lunches.
She got Noah fed and walked both kids to the bus stop by seven-thirty.The air held a softness that said the Chinooks were coming.She relished the coming of spring more than usual this year.It had been a hard winter that came early and extra cold.
Noah boarded the bus without looking back, but Cassidy paused on the step.
“Mom.”Cassidy fixed her with a look of profound maternal exasperation.“A cup of coffee is not breakfast.”
“I’ll throw a granola bar in to my purse.”
“Also not breakfast.”Cassidy pointed a bossy finger at her.“Real food.Today, Young Lady.”
“Yes ma'am,” Bonnie retorted dryly.Sheesh.When did her nine-year-old decide she was in charge of the world?
Cassidy shot her a dire look that said she was not above enforcing her order and disappeared into the bus.
It takes raising a strong, independent girl to get a strong, independent woman.But that didn’t make Cassidy’s bossy streak any easier to swallow when her child called her out like that ...and was right.
She retraced her steps to the house, grabbed a granola baranda banana because Cassidy would interrogate her this afternoon, and drove to work.
The mayor's office was on the second floor of the municipal building.She unlocked it promptly at eight, turned on the lights, and checked for voicemails on the Cobbler Cove complaint hotline.
A new pothole on the lake road.A permit renewal request from the county.A message from the mayor's doctor confirming an appointment Lucas hadn't told her about, which meant he was being secretive about his health again.
She sighed.She'd tried over the years to get him to take better care of himself, but to no avail.He drank too much whiskey, smoked too many cigars, ate rich food, refused to exercise, and was generally terrible to his body.
His choices were apparently coming home to roost.That was probably why he'd been so cranky since his heart attack.
She updated the mayor’s calendar and debated whether or not to say anything to him about not telling her about the appointment.She decided against it.The man was already too stressed out for his own good.
